At the slopes of Mount Tancia, in an unspoilt natural setting, lies the settlement of Monte San Giovanni, where the signs of its past are prominently displayed. The recently restored tower, a symbol of lordly power, and the city walls, gradually absorbed by the expansion of the settlement, are notable features.
There are two fortified settlements, the Rocca di Tancia and Fatucchio, whose ruins still dominate the road connecting Rieti to the Tiber Valley.
The parish church of San Giovanni Battista is a distinctive structure built on the remains of the ancient fortress. It preserves valuable paintings, including a 16th-century “Virgin and Child” and a 17th-century St. Michael the Archangel. The ancient parish church of San Sebastiano, on the other hand, contains some frescoes from the late 1500s and a 15th-century Madonna known as the “Madonna del latte.”
Descending the road from the Osteria del Tancia along the famous Via Tancia, once passed by shepherds and merchants heading towards Rome, you can see on the left the picturesque Galantina stream, complete with waterfall and pond. Not far away is the cave-hermitage of St. Michael the Archangel, a small rock sanctuary born in time immemorial inside a natural cavity of Mount Tancia. The cave opens on the western slopes of the mountain, an almost sacred peak that has always shaped the history of these places.
Inside the cave, you can see an altar surmounted by a ciborium with two columns and numerous frescoes depicting Christ among the symbols of the four Evangelists, the Madonna and Child, the Lamb of God, and, of course, the Archangel Michael defeating the dragon.